Author
Kat Otis
The Sword of Saints and Sinners
Every condemned man and woman of London has the right to face my sword before they die, but I pray they will choose not to. The first man to face death is dressed in his Sunday best and plays to the jeering crowd as he walks to the gallows. As the executioner ties the noose…
Letters from Goodyear
On my eighteenth birthday, I was kicked out of foster care with a duffel bag full of second-hand clothes and a battered envelope addressed to Elle. I hadn't been Elle since I was six, which my mom would've known if she hadn't abandoned me. But at least she'd sent me a birthday…
Time and Time Again
"Smoke break?" My co-worker Paul leaned back in his chair to peer around the side of the wall separating our two cubicles. "You said you were quitting," I said, pretending to focus on my monitor even as my adrenaline spiked at the thought. "Not cold turkey," Paul countered. My…
A Hero, I Am
I am a hero. Heroes are brave, selfless, and kind. They never skip the village's weekly archery practice or fight with their father about it while they're supposed to be quietly stalking deer. They don't freeze when the bandits come pouring into the clearing, don't run and hide…
A Sonorous Expiration
President Abraham Lincoln stopped breathing entirely and the assembled doctors all consulted our pocket watches; it was 6:50 A.M. After several moments, the terrible silence was broken by a prolonged inspiration and a sonorous expiration. He still lived, but not for long. I rose…
A Sonorous Expiration
President Abraham Lincoln stopped breathing entirely and the assembled doctors all consulted our pocket watches; it was 6:50 A.M. After several moments, the terrible silence was broken by a prolonged inspiration and a sonorous expiration. He still lived, but not for long. I rose…
The Secrets of the Universe
The god gave his keys to my brother, but I knew it was a mistake. Keys are a woman's domain. My first key belonged to my dowry chest. Mother gave it to me when I was but five years old, promising to help me fill it with everything I would need when I was grown and married. It is…
War Games
Deep in Chislehurst Caves, the children play Pin the Mustache on Hitler while a battle rages unseen overhead. The children laugh as they spin, dip, and glide, arms outstretched like Hurricanes and Spitfires. Cheers and groans follow each attempt, for no one has come near the…
iChaperone
About midnight, the party came to a crashing halt when one of the dive team seniors arrived with a case of beer. Izzy had a split-second to wince before dozens of iChaperones lit up in angry technicolor. They swarmed down from the ceiling to hover around the heads of their…
What Memories Are Made Of
There was a footbridge on the road leading into the town, but its troll was small enough that Hans only had to sell a woodcarving memory to gain passage. Afterwards, he prodded at the blank space in his mind, like tonguing a missing tooth, even though he'd sold enough memories…
What Merfolk Must Know
I saw my first deathship when I was only ten migrations old. Mamma and I had swum up to the ocean's surface to play with a pod of dolphins. We were leaping and spinning and dancing in the waves when she caught sight of white sails on the horizon. The dolphins abandoned us,…
The Little Helper
The first time her parents left her home alone, Elvira was good. The second time, she managed to behave, too. But the third time, the temptation was too great. That Friday night, the instant her parents were gone, she ran down to the basement and entered the Forbidden Workshop.…
X Marks the Spot
I nudged the corpse with the toe of my boot. "Looks like he froze to death, poor sod." "That's what you get, wandering these mountains unprepared." Ranulf snagged the corpse's rucksack and began rifling through it. Shivering, I tucked my hands into my armpits. Spring was well…
Faerie Food
Everyone knows that humans shouldn't eat or drink when visiting Faerie, but no one's quite sure why. I searched the internet and found a bunch of different theories. Maybe you'll end up trapped forever, enslaved to whoever fed you. Maybe you'll get transformed into some hideous…
Counting Coup
Meztli and the other boys of his year-group snuck into the Daylighter village just before dawn. One by one, they split off from the group as they each chose their targets. The more timid boys picked the yards of houses near the edge of the village, with easy access and a quick…